How capital gains tax on the sale of a property held in a trust works. This reader wants to know if they can claim a capital loss on the sale. Q: I enjoyed your column in the Washington Post. I am trustee of my father's trust. Upon his death, his 50 percent interest in the [...]

Explaining California Prop 13 transfer rules. Proposition 13 capped property taxes at one percent, but what happens when you transfer home ownership? Q: The family trust has one piece of real estate in California. If a buyer wants to protect the low Proposition 13 basis, may he or she "buy" the trusteeship and pay the [...]

Is property sold in a trust taxable? Inheriting a home through a trust usually simplifies the selling process, until you consider capital gains taxes. Q: I need some advice about selling a home held jointly in a trust in my name and my brother’s name. This was my mother’s house originally and she has since [...]

How to determine property tax deductions when ownership is unclear. It starts with figuring out who actually owns the property. Q: My grandma's house is in probate as she passed last year. Her grandchildren have been living there and paying the property taxes. Who gets the tax deduction for those tax payments? How to Determine [...]

When you deal with a parent's affairs, you should keep in mind that you might need to have two documents at hand to help them out. One document is a power of attorney for health care and the other document is a power of attorney over the parent's finances. If you have a power of attorney over the parents financial matters, make sure you understand what you should do and shouldn't do. You usually won't see problems with siblings and even parents if you use the parent's money directly for the parent's care and well being. But if you decide to sell your parent's home, you should make sure you have the right to do that and you should discuss the matter with your siblings and an estate planner.